Wait For Me
by Meriwyn
Summary: Like many others, I was severely disappointed in the character butchering of Jaime Lannister. What follows is how I would have written their endings, without changing the rest of the story. It begins at the latter half of Season 8, Episode 4, and continues through Episode 6. To me, this is how it all SHOULD have gone down. I hope you enjoy!
1. Facing Demons

**Chapter 1 - Facing Demons**

Jaime paced the room for most of an hour, stopping at different points to gaze either out of one of the small windows, at the fire in the hearth, or at Brienne sleeping peacefully underneath the furs of their bed. He was still naked, but his agitated state and his pacing had been keeping him warm, along with the fire. He took time to put more wood on it, just like Brienne had been telling him for weeks. He smiled remembering the first time they had discussed it, as he was attempting to seduce her. After two more trips between the fireplace and the window, he walked back over to the bed and sat next to her sleeping form. Gazing at her face, he marveled at how peaceful she looked. Her cheeks were flushed from the fire's warmth. Her eyelashes were absurdly long and made her look almost childlike. He also noted that they got lighter towards the ends. Her lips, slightly parted in sleep, beckoned to him and he ached to wake her and once again make her his, but now was not the time. He had too much on his mind; too much that he needed to tell her.

He tenderly reached out and moved a few of her messy curls away from her forehead. He briefly wondered what her hair would look like if she grew it out. He would have to ask her one day.

"Bree," he whispered, running his fingers down her neck and over her bared shoulder. She sighed softly in her sleep and turned towards him, curling herself around his backside where he sat on the edge of the bed. She settled and her rhythmic breathing started again.

Jaime leaned down and pressed soft kisses against her neck. "Brienne, love, wake up." He stroked her back.

Brienne began to squirm and mumble incoherently. Jaime continued rubbing her back and shoulder until finally her eyes slowly cracked open. She blinked her heavy lids a few times, trying to get her bearings. She looked from the fireplace to their small dining table in the corner and finally focused on his face. He smiled sadly at her.

Brienne, still trying to focus, drew her brows together in concern. "Jaime?" her voice was husky from sleep. It made something stir in his loins. "Are you alright? What is it?"

Her worry for him flooded her senses and she quickly sat up, looking him over for any ailments. Finally she let her hand come to rest on his thigh.

"Are you hurt?"

Jaime snickered quietly and looked down at her hand on his leg. He intertwined his fingers with hers and brought it up to his lips, placing a long kiss on her palm.

"Only in spirit."

She sat up straighter and searched his face again. "Tell me."

Jaime sighed and crawled over her, laying down again as she rolled back over to face him. Pulling the furs up over him, Brienne propped herself up on her elbow, ready to let him unload whatever was burdening him. He smiled up at her from the pillow, reached up with his right arm and tenderly ran his stump down her chest. It always fascinated him that she was never repulsed by that ruined part of him. She simply accepted it as part of him, and Brienne _did_ accept him as he was, flaws and all. It warmed his heart.

As if responding to his thoughts, she reached for his limb and brought it up to her lips and placed a tender kiss on his jagged scars where his hand used to be. Jaime took in a deep breath and puffed the air out from his cheeks.

"I have to leave, Brienne." He said. "I have to go to King's Landing and put my demons to rest if I'm ever going to be at peace…if I'm ever going to be able to be at peace with _you_."

"They're going to destroy that city," she answered quietly. "You know they will."

He looked down to where she still held onto his ruined right arm and nodded. "I know. I know." His voice was barely a whisper. He looked back up into her eyes.

"I have to do this, though. I want rid of those parts of me once and for all. You stood up before the entire Stark household and their allies and said I was a man of honor…that you would fight beside me. I want to be that man Brienne. I want to be the man you see."

She smiled at him but sadness tinged her blue eyes. She reached to gently stroke his face with the back of her hand.

"To me you are, Jaime, but I do understand your feeling this way. I've spent most of my life fighting off those who thought that I was nothing…a creature to be discarded and mocked…to be thought of as not deserving of love or acceptance. Continually trying to prove yourself to others becomes so tiring after a while."

Tears shone in his eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve you? You wonderful warrior goddess who sees past all of my faults and loves me so fiercely in spite of them?"

Her own tears fell as she raised his stump up to his eye level. "This. You did this for me. Just as I see you, you also see me. You saw past everything everyone else did, and you didn't cast me aside like all the others."

Jaime let out a cry and pulled her down to him, holding her so tight against him he could scarcely breathe. "No one will ever hurt you again, I swear it." He spoke into her hair. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to quench his tears. "Which is another reason I have to go."

Brienne rested her head underneath his chin and stroked his chest, attempting to both soothe him and encourage him to continue. He did.

"Cersei knows of our connection. I saw it in her eyes at the Dragonpit. She voiced her suspicions to me in the past…made threats. I can't have her coming after you trying to do you harm. I walked away from her, something she won't forget. Bronn's untimely arrival at the tavern that night proved that. The only way I can put this to rest is to face her and tell her I'm rid of her for good. Otherwise she will never stop sending assassins or armies. When you and Sansa gave me that news earlier, that she had evened the sides, it cut me to my core. I can't have her come out of this untouched and still in power."

"Jaime, if you go to her, she will hurt you or worse, have that lumbering monstrosity of a bodyguard tear you to pieces."

"I know, I hadn't quite thought that far," he chuckled, attempting to lighten the morose cloud that hung over them. Brienne looked up at him.

"Jaime, you could die attempting this. I can't bear the thought of losing you, not now." Fresh tears welled in her eyes. "At least let me go with you to protect you."

"No." he said bluntly. "It is absolutely imperative you stay here where you're safe. I will not have you put in harms' way. I will not let her get her hands on you or cause you pain."

"I'm not afraid of her."

Jaime smiled at her. "You're not afraid of anything, my love."

"Except losing you."

"Believe me, that's not my plan either."

"Jaime, you just said you didn't have a solid plan for when you get to King's Landing," Brienne exclaimed.

"Tyrion will help me, he's the clever one. I'll catch up with him at Daenerys' camp outside the city."

Brienne rolled onto her back and put her hand to her forehead. "Jaime it's so dangerous. Did the two of you suddenly forget that your sister sent someone to assassinate you both?"

"Bree, I'm not going back to beg her forgiveness. I'm going back to put an end to my own torment and guilt. Whether or not I try to deny it, I've helped her become the monster she is today." He pressed himself up against her and rested his face in the crook of her shoulder, draping his arm over her stomach and pulling her close.

"I pushed a child out of a tower window, crippled him for life, for Cersei." He spat, his voice full of hatred. "I murdered my cousin with my own hands, trying to get back to Cersei. I would have killed every man, woman, and child in Riverrun, for Cersei….if not for you showing me that there was another way…an honorable way. She's hateful, and I can't let her hate take a hold of me anymore than it already has. I need to rid myself of it."

Brienne lay quiet, horrified at the confession he just made to her, here alone in the dark. It was not unlike a confession he had made to her once before, in what seemed ages ago in a bathtub in Harrenhal. After hearing it, she realized there was no arguing with him. They could go round and round like this all night and all the next day and it wouldn't change anything. She sighed in defeat.

"Alright, Jaime," she said softly. He loved it when she used his name. No titles, no nicknames…just Jaime. "But please, come back to me. Even if you have to defy the gods…come back to me." She kissed him deeply.

Jaime's face suddenly lit up, his eyes alive with thought. "Bree, will you do something for me?"

Her brows knitted together in puzzlement but she trusted him, even now. "Of course, Jaime, anything."

He shot up from the bed and began hurriedly dressing. "Get dressed, it's cold outside."

She looked at him as if he were mad. "What? We're going outside? Now?"

He pulled on his boots. "Yes, hurry up. Trust me."

Brienne sat for a few moments wondering if he really had lost his mind, but eventually rose and began to pull on her pants and tunic. Once Jaime had finished, he walked to her and kissed her quickly.

"There's something I need to do. Meet me in the courtyard when you're dressed." He ran out the door.

"Father, Smith, Warrior. Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger. I am hers (his) and she (he) is mine, from this day, until the end of my days."

They spoke the words quietly in unison, standing under the weirwood tree in the Winterfell Godswood. Samwell Tarly, still dazed from being awoken at such an ungodly hour, wrapped the white silken ribbon around their joined hands. The snow was gently falling, creating a quiet stillness all around. It made them feel like the only people in the world.

"In my position as maester, bearing witness before the old gods and the new, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife," Sam said. Tears rolled down Brienne's face as Jaime tenderly took her cheek in his hand and kissed her. He pressed his forehead to hers and wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her close to him.

"Now I _really_ have something to stay alive for, and to come back to." He smiled and kissed her again.

"You better keep that promise, Jaime Lannister," she said, her voice shaking. "If you die on me I will hunt you down and kill you again."

They made love one more time before he left, both of them clinging to each other afterwards. Jaime lay on top of Brienne, once again memorizing every little nuance of her face, not knowing when or if he would see it again. Brienne softly ran her fingers through his hair and stroked his back with the other hand.

"I love you, Jaime," she whispered, as if afraid to say it out loud. Tears welled in his eyes and eventually a few fell down onto her face.

"I love you, too, Bree," he said back to her and kissed her gently. He suddenly lifted his head again. "Oh, excuse me, I mean _wife_." He broke out into a grin. She laughed softly. He lowered his head again until their foreheads were touching.

"Thank you," Jaime whispered.

"For what?" Brienne replied.

"Everything. For marrying me, for believing in me, for allowing me to see myself the way you see me. Most importantly, for understanding that in order to fully become that man, I need to face my demons and put them to rest once and for all, to right my wrongs."

She reached up and stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. He closed his eyes and leaned into it.

"I want you to be comfortable with who you are, Jaime, and if that means you have to face those parts of yourself that you'd rather shut away, then I admire you for it. I know what it feels like to have things haunt you." The image of Renly Baratheon came to her mind, unbidden. "I'm just afraid for you."

"I promise I will do my best to come back to you." He sighed and looked down at her collarbone. "But if something does happen to me, take comfort that I left this world loving you, and only you."

She walked him out to the courtyard and helped him saddle and equip his horse. Dressed in nothing but her robe, she hugged herself and shivered. He slowly put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. This was more difficult than he ever thought it would be. He felt his resolve slipping, but he knew what he had to do, for both of them. When he pulled back, she took his face in her hands, her eyes shining with tears yet again. He reached up and took her hand in his, gently stroking it with his thumb in an attempt to comfort her. He finally removed her hand from his face and pressed it against his chest, splaying her fingers out so her palm was flat against him. He held her hand hard against where his heart was.

"It's yours," he whispered. "It will always be yours."

She let out a sob and the tears now flowed freely. He kissed her deeply, savoring the taste and feel of her. When they finally pulled apart, he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Promise me you'll wait for me, Bree."

She sniffed and nodded. "Forever."

He kissed her forehead and then her hands. "Go back inside, I'll see you soon."

He stepped back from her and mounted his horse. He couldn't resist reaching for her hand once more and leaned down to kiss her knuckles. Sitting up again he stroked the fourth finger on her left hand.

"We need to get you a proper ring when this is all over." He was crying now too. She laughed and shook her head. Leave it to Jaime to try to lighten the mood.

"I love you, wife," he said, his voice thick with emotion, and then he was gone.


	2. The Stupidest Lannister

**Chapter 2 - The Stupidest Lannister**

Jaime had been gone for almost three days. Brienne knew this because she felt like she had literally been counting the minutes since he'd left. She hated the nights the most. She had gotten so used to him being in their bed, that to sleep without him caused an ache in her so deep she almost couldn't bear it. She had gone about her daily duties as normal. She had explained to Sansa that Jaime had left to fight alongside Daenerys and Jon, thus telling the first lie ever in her life. What struck her as odd was that she didn't even feel badly about it, because she was protecting him, and ultimately _them_. She didn't want to have to explain the intricacies of why he had really left. It was no one's concern but theirs. She also did not speak to anyone of their marriage, and had also sworn Sam to secrecy.

After two nights of barely any sleep, one of which included the night he left, tonight she had managed to fall into deep sleep, most likely from sheer emotional exhaustion. Her dreams were chaotic and troubled, however.

She was walking through King's Landing. Destruction rained all around her. There were people running everywhere, screaming, burning…yet she heard nothing. And the fire…so much fire. She looked down at her body and saw she was clad only in a thin sky-blue silk gown that flowed down to her feet like a silent waterfall. It tied behind her neck, and left her arms and shoulders bare. She was barefoot as well, yet walking through the streets and over ashes didn't seem to have an effect on her. Her usually slicked-back hair was free about her head, and her wild curls softly framed her face. _Oathkeeper_ was gripped tightly in her right hand, although she wore no belt or scabbard. She looked like a goddess of justice and peace.

"Show me," she whispered, and _Oathkeeper_ suddenly began to glow, gently pulling her forward, towards the Red Keep. A good portion of the fortress was in ruin, but it still stood. Her arm was outstretched now, as _Oathkeeper_ continued to guide her. She found herself near the tower that rose from crypts to the sky, and as she looked up, ready to ascend the endless steps, she noticed that _Oathkeeper_ was instead pointing her downwards. Down into the bowels of the Keep.

She descended for what seemed like forever, until she finally came out into the lowest level. It was cold here, and _Oathkeeper_ suddenly glowed brighter, both lighting her way and also somehow warming her. She walked past gigantic dragon skulls, and they all seemed to be looking at her with dead, accusing, empty eye sockets. When she looked around her feet, she noticed that a most of this area had collapsed. Looking up, she could see the sky where the ceilings were no more. At one point she thought she saw Drogon soaring overhead.

_Oathkeeper_ pulled her slowly onward, picking her way through piles of stone and dust. _Oathkeeper_'s glow caught on something that reflected back into her eyes. Leaning down for a closer look, she noticed it was a golden hand.

Brienne sat bolt upright out of sleep, gasping for breath and her heart pounding. Looking frantically around the room, her hand flew to her chest, which she noticed was slick with sweat.

"Jaime," she whispered.

Podrick Payne was used to getting up at dawn. Being Brienne's squire had left him little choice in that matter, as she was an early riser as well. He slowly sat up and swung his feet over into a sitting position on the edge of his bed. Running a hand through his hair and yawning, he eventually stood up and after using the chamber pot, stumbled over to where his clothing and armor were and began to dress himself.

Fastening his sword belt around his waist, he walked for the door. He didn't notice the wax-sealed parchment on the floor until he almost stepped on it.

He looked down in confusion and bent to pick up the note. Breaking the seal he recognized Brienne's impeccable calligraphy.

"_Podrick,_

_By the time you read this, I will have been long gone on my way to King's Landing. I can't explain right now as I do not have time, but everything is alright. Please attend Lady Sansa in whatever she needs, and please assume my duties for her while I am away. Give her my apologies and tell her that I will explain everything when I see you all again._

_-Brienne"_

And just like that, for the first time in her life, Brienne of Tarth abandoned her sworn duty.

_Four days later._

"You know what? I take it all back." Tyrion Lannister furiously paced in front of his brother, who had shown up a mere hour ago in his tent. Tyrion, along with Daenerys and her armies had only just arrived back from Dragonstone themselves.

"Cersei was right, you really _are_ the stupidest Lannister."

Jaime gave his little brother an amused yet annoyed glare.

"Yes, well—" Jaime started. Tyrion stopped in front of him and spread his hands wide and immediately cut him off.

"Why? _Why_ did you leave Winterfell? You were _happy_, you had a chance at a new life." He sounded almost sad. Jaime looked at the ground.

"I can't have a new life until I shed the old one. There are some old ghosts I need to revisit first."

"But you were free of her at last."

Jaime shook his head. "I'll never be fully free of her until one of us or both are dead. Plus there's the still the baby to consider."

Tyrion ground his teeth together and bit back a hundred different barbs he could have thrown. Jaime's eyes met Tyrion's and they stared wordlessly at each other for a few moments. Finally Tyrion nodded slowly and gestured towards two chairs in the corner.

"Sit."

Jaime obeyed. He sat and rested his forearms on his knees. Tyrion sat opposite him and reached for his ever-present carafe of wine. He poured two glasses and handed one to his brother. Jaime just swirled it around in his hand.

"You and I both know that Cersei can still win." He spoke to the wine goblet more than anything else. "When we received news in Winterfell that Daenerys had lost another dragon and that Missandei had been captured, I feared that she would still somehow manage to scheme her way into keeping the throne." Jaime's face grew dark. "Somehow she always manages to stay one step ahead." He said through clenched teeth.

Tyrion had already drained one glass of wine and was already pouring another. Jaime hadn't even touched his first. They sat in silence for several minutes before Tyrion spoke again.

"So what is your plan then?"

Jaime let out a chuckle and sat back in his chair.

"I don't even know. I told Brienne that you would come up with something."

"Ah hah." Tyrion took another sip of wine. "And what does your Lady Knight think of all this?"

Jaime smiled faintly when Tyrion said her name. He thought of his wife and how much he longed for her. He hoped she was faring well and was thinking of him too.

"Worried, like you. But also understanding and supportive."

"I'm surprised she isn't here with you."

"I asked her to remain at Winterfell. I don't want her in harms' way." He wondered if he should let Tyrion in on their secret. He decided that if something indeed did end up happening to him, someone else should know and make sure Brienne was looked after. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

"I married her, you know."

Tyrion actually spit his wine out in a red stream across the tent. Jaime flinched and jumped in his chair. Tyrion coughed and sputtered a bit before turning back to his brother and smacked his goblet down on the small table.

"You…well, I…I knew you were happy but I didn't know you were _that_ happy."

Jaime laughed quietly. "I guess I didn't either."

"Well, I'm sorry I missed it." Tyrion said. "Congratulations brother, I am truly happy for you. I always liked Brienne. She really is the best of us." He picked up his goblet again and raised it in salute.

"She is that, yes." Jaime said dreamily. His mind focused on her and he ached for her touch, and he raised his own goblet back at Tyrion. The latter shifted in his chair.

"Alright, so, if you don't have a plan, what is your _goal_ at least? To reason with our sweet sister? Kill her?" He rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and folded his hands in front of him. "It is infuriating, isn't it? No matter how many times she tries to threaten us, maim us, or kill us, we always manage to try to help her in the end." Tyrion gazed off into nothing. "Perhaps it's not her fault that she is the way she is. Perhaps something broke within her when she was young, and it slowly poisoned her from the inside out all these years."

"Do you think she can be reasoned with?" Jaime broke Tyrion from his musings.

"No, but honestly she'd be more apt to listen to you rather than me, so there's that. Plus like you said, there's the baby. I know she at least cares about that." Tyrion lowered his voice and sat forward. "If for some miracle you can get her to surrender or leave, I can tell you how to get in and out without being seen. Do you remember where we met under the keep…where the dragon skulls are?"

Jaime nodded.

"One of the tunnels under there leads out to the water. I will have Davos bring you there and leave you with a boat. Put her in it and send her somewhere."

"I don't know if I can send her off alone just like that, but I know I can't go with her either, not now." Jaime said.

"Take her back to Casterly Rock." Tyrion said simply. He sighed heavily. "I'll see to it she is hidden away there and is never seen outside the walls again. I'll hide her from Daenerys. I'm sure we still have at least a few people there who remain loyal to our house."

"You _really_ think she's going to accept life imprisonment at Casterly Rock?" Jamie said sarcastically.

"All I said is I will see to it she is set up properly at our family home. If she decides to show her face outside of there or to make trouble again, that's on her, and I will not come to her rescue ever again."

Jaime nodded. "I agree, and I think it fulfills our duty to family loyalty."

"Father would be so proud." Tyrion said sardonically and rolled his eyes.

The following night, Jaime had dozed off in Tyrion's tent while his brother had been summoned by Daenerys. Tyrion said that he felt it was better that no one else knew Jaime was here, and for him to remain hidden in Tyrion's quarters until it was time for him to make his way into the Red Keep. He didn't know how long Tyrion had been gone, but he slept deeply for the first time in almost a week. Rolling over on Tyrion's cot, he had just drifted back to sleep when his brother came storming in, his face panic-stricken.

Jaime propped himself up on one elbow.

"What is it?"

Tyrion turned sad eyes to him. Jaime sat up fully, now very concerned. Tyrion fell to his knees and tears began to fall from his eyes. Jaime fell to his knees next to him and put his arm around his little brother.

"Tell me." He said. Just like Brienne had said to him the night he poured out his soul to her for the second time.

"Daenerys is losing her mind," Tyrion choked out. "She won't listen to any of us, she…she just… executed Varys for treason." He buried his face in his hands. Jaime's eyes widened and he sat back on his heels.

"What?"

"She is losing all reason." Tyrion continued. "She's going to burn King's Landing to the ground."

Jaime closed his eyes and swore. "Why does it seem like we're always trying to stop someone from razing this city?"

Tyrion stood up and began talking quickly.

"You have to go now, while it's dark, make your way to the tunnels under the Keep. Hide there until dawn. If I can miraculously persuade Daenerys to stand down, you can still get to Cersei and maybe talk her into something resembling reason." He grew quiet again and looked Jaime in the eye.

"If neither one of us are successful, and Daenerys attacks the city, we both know there is no way to fight against that. I will need to ask one last favor of you, Jaime."

"If I can, absolutely." Jaime responded.

"Ring the bells. It will signal surrender and maybe we can spare the innocents at least."

Jaime nodded. "I will try."

Tyrion smiled sadly and touched his brother's cheek.

"You know, without you, I never would have survived my childhood."

Jaime smiled. "Yes, you would have."

"No, no I wouldn't." Tyrion was crying freely now. "You were the only one who didn't treat me like a monster."

Jaime rose up to his knees and gathered Tyrion in his arms. "Because I love you." He said.

Jaime snuck out of the camp and Davos rowed him out to Blackwater Bay, depositing him at the cave opening. They climbed out and Davos began untying the second boat that he had towed along with him, pulling it onto the shore.

"That's your way out," he said to Jaime, pointing at the dinghy. "Good luck. I'll see you soon."

Jaime clasped Davos' hand in his. "You're a good man, Davos Seaworth. Thank you. Keep yourself safe."

Davos nodded and made his way silently back out into the harbor, eventually swallowed up by the darkness.

Daenerys indeed attacked King's Landing at dawn the next day. Jaime had wanted so much to believe that Tyrion had been wrong, but sadly that wasn't the case. The city had erupted into chaos, as Daenerys showed neither mercy nor restraint. Stark soldiers were slaughtering everyone who wasn't being burned by Drogon's flames. Jaime watched around him in horror as the world fell apart and nothing at all made sense. Ash, snow and fire all rained down at once, making everything completely surreal. Through it all though, Jaime remembered his promise to Tyrion.

_The bells. I need to ring the bells. I need to stop this._

Running for the closest bell tower, he began to climb the stairs. Reaching the top, he looked out over the city and felt the pain in his heart. Everything was on fire. Buildings were crumbling, people were running everywhere. The screams and the smells assaulted him, making him nauseous.

_Brienne…if you could only see this…_

Reaching for the rope that attached to the giant bell hanging above him, he pulled with all of his strength until it started to peal out across the rooftops. He kept going, desperate now.

"Come on! Come on!" he screamed.

Finally he heard it. Other bells began to answer him, others taking up the call to save the city. He had his bell swinging at full arc now, and he looked up at the sky and screamed at the Targaryen queen and her mount.

When he was sure that the signal was carrying through the city, he ran once again for the Keep. It was a battle fighting his way against the flow of citizens fleeing every which way for their lives. He narrowly missed being burnt himself as Drogon flew over his head again. He eventually fought his way up to the gates of the Red Keep, making his way inside.

He stumbled as the building lurched beneath him, taking another hit from Drogon. He wished he could somehow signal Daenerys and tell her to go somewhere else, but that was useless now. He didn't even know how she'd receive his being there at this point anyway. She may have Drogon roast him on sight for all he knew. Brienne and Jon had been the only barriers that kept Daenerys from immediately executing him in the North.

_Brienne…what am I doing here?_

He continued making his way through the arched corridors until he finally made his way to the courtyard with the giant map of Westeros on the ground.

It was there that he found her.

Jaime really hadn't thought about what to expect when he was actually face to face with his sister again. She looked smaller to him, which he found odd, considering she was supposedly pregnant. How long had he been gone? Three, four months? Surely she should be showing by now. Upon further scrutiny, she didn't actually seem pregnant at all. He narrowed his eyes and was about to say something, but though better of it. Now wasn't the time.

She still hadn't seen him. She was wandering around the courtyard, looking lost and frightened, with dust, ash, and snow falling all around her. He found himself slipping into feeling sorry for her. She looked more like a scared little girl than a vindictive queen. Where was Qyburn? Where was her walking monster? She was utterly alone. The irony wasn't lost on Jaime.

He suddenly realized that as he looked upon her, it felt different this time. The usual lust and possessiveness he would feel when he was in her presence didn't surface. He didn't feel the need to run to her and kiss her and tell her he loved her. He felt love for her, yes, but it wasn't the same as before…it was familial now, and he saw his sister rather than his lover. That thought alone shocked and somehow delighted him at the same time.

_Brienne, my love…am I truly free of her after all?_

The Red Keep shuddered again, jarring him back to reality. He watched his sister for a few more moments, and it slowly dawned on him that he was feeling pity for her. He leaned against one of the arches that framed the open-aired map room and found he was wrestling with his conscience.

Cersei's tear-streaked panic-stricken face made him stop. His thoughts of ending her suddenly wiped from his mind. Could he realistically save her? He swore under his breath and hit the column with his golden hand. It was then that he realized she finally saw him.

Cersei stood frozen in place, trying to process what she was seeing.

"Jaime?" she said so softly he could barely hear her. He slowly walked towards her, his hand outstretched.

"Come on, I can get you out of here, I know a way out."

She blinked a few times, still not comprehending what was happening. Jaime took another step towards her.

"Cersei, please, we have to get out of here _now_. I can take you to safety."

She stumbled forward and gripped his arm tightly. She looked up at him, but it seemed to Jaime that she looked through him rather than at him. She spoke as if to anyone and no one.

"I don't want to die. Not like this."

Jaime took her hand and began to pull her along.

"Come with me, I'll get you out." He said gently to her, as if addressing a child, which at the moment he fully believed he was. Finally she followed him.

He took her down the tower stairs, down, down…dodging falling rock and debris. The Keep shook with each pass Daenerys and Drogon made and Jaime found himself shrieking a curse at them. He looked behind him at Cersei, who was uncharacteristically silent, a mask of shock and horror on her face.

They finally came out at the bottom level of the keep. It was eerily silent down here, and the sounds of death and destruction were somewhat muffled. Cersei let go of Jaime's hand and began to wander around muttering incoherently. Jaime left her for a moment, running towards the back of the tunnel where he had entered earlier. Coming around the bend, he pulled up and stopped dead in his tracks. Where there should have been a cavernous opening to the bay, there was nothing but a gigantic pile of stone blocking his way. Frantically looking around, he noticed that most of this area had collapsed and there were similar piles of stone in every direction.

It was then that he started to panic. A cracking noise came to him from immediately above his head and he only had seconds to jump back before that too came crumbling down. He ran back to Cersei and found her walking in circles, looking for salvation.

_Brienne…am I going to die here after all?_

"Jaime, I don't want to die, not like this. I want our baby to live. I want our baby to live."

Looking at her again, he seriously doubted she was actually pregnant at this point. She showed absolutely no signs of impending motherhood like she had in the past. Maybe Cersei really was gone now, living in her own made-up existence, where she had twenty children and another on the way. He really did pity her now. He actually began to pity both of them, as he was running out of hope and ideas now that he saw they were truly trapped.

Another crash from far above cause more dust and stone to fall. Cersei stumbled towards him.

"Not like this…not like this." She kept repeating. Jaime did the only thing he could think of to do. He went to her and took her face in his hands, brother to sister.

"Cersei, look at me, look in my eyes." He pleaded with her. No matter what she had done in her life, he would at least give her this one comfort in death.

"Nothing matters, just us, right?" he said.

_Brienne...nothing matters but you, my love._

Tears were staining her face and her green eyes had a dead look to them. She nodded and buried herself in his embrace. The Keep shook again, causing Jaime to stumble backwards. Whatever Drogon had just done, it caused the final chain reaction. Jaime looked on both sides of him and saw the tunnels begin their final death waltz.

A stream of stone tore Cersei from his grasp. He watched in horror as she fell away from him and was quickly covered with an unfeeling pile of rock. He instinctively swatted away a piece of falling stone with his golden hand. It made a large clanging noise and if he hadn't reacted, he would now be at the very least unconscious on the ground. The jolt had caused him to fall backwards again and he landed on the ground with a hard thud. Looking up, he suddenly noticed he wasn't looking at the open air, he was looking into the upper jaw of Balerion the Dread's skull. Gathering all of the strength he had left, he flipped over onto his stomach and began to scurry further into its maw.

A blinding white light of pain shot through his left leg along with a sickening _crunch_, causing him to let out a scream so horrible he didn't even recognize it as his own. Looking back he saw that the part of the ceiling where he had been standing seconds ago had given way and had fallen on his leg. Hot tears rolled from his eyes and he saw spots flickering in his vision. He dragged himself forward on pure adrenaline, and managed to pull himself fully inside Balerion's skull just as the rest of the tunnel gave way and covered the area all around him.

The pain from his leg shot through him so strongly that he began to feel delirious. He felt the darkness coming for him. He screamed in agony and began to wrestle with his sword belt. He managed somehow to get it off with his one hand and wrapped it around his thigh, pulling the buckle tight, grimacing and screaming through his clenched teeth as he did so.

Weak from pain and the adrenaline now leaving him, he rolled over onto his back and looked around. It appeared that the tunnel had covered the outside of the skull, but it had withheld breaking itself. He was alive, but he was entombed. Fresh tears welled in his eyes.

"BRIENNE!"

And then the darkness finally took him.


	3. His Honorable Deeds

**Chapter 3 - His Honorable Deeds**

Tyrion stood where the gates of King's Landing used to be, and just stared. He couldn't begin to fathom what he was seeing. King's Landing was a smoking ruin. Ash and snow mixed together fell from the sky, blanketing everything in a dull grey, making even inanimate objects look dead. People with half of their skin gone walked past him in a daze. Charred bodies littered the street. Buildings were crumbling.

And the smell. Gods, the smell. It took all of his resolve not to retch every few feet.

Davos stood off to his left and slightly behind him, along with Jon. It was eerily silent, like something out of a nightmare. It didn't even dawn on them that hoof beats were approaching until a horse reigned up behind them. They all turned and were shocked to see Brienne of Tarth jumping down off her mount.

Tyrion's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. She ran towards him and dropped to her knees in front of him.

"Lord Tyrion," she said breathlessly. "What _happened_?" She looked around incredulously at the scene in front of her. When she returned her gaze to Tyrion, tears were streaming down his face. He stared at her for several moments, taking in the sight of her.

"You don't know how good it is to see you, Ser Brienne," he sobbed.

Wordlessly, she gathered him in her arms and held him close. He was completely taken aback by the gesture but was extremely touched and melted into her embrace. She let him cry against her armored chest. She pressed her hand into the back of his hair for comfort. Jon came forward and placed his hand on Brienne's shoulder. She looked up at him.

"Is Sansa alright?" he asked. Brienne nodded.

"She's with Podrick and the rest of the Winterfell guard, she's well looked after. As is Bran."

"Thank you." He said, giving her shoulder a slight squeeze.

"Of course, I would never leave her unprotected." She felt Tyrion start to step back from her and she turned her attention once again to him.

"What happened, Tyrion?" she repeated. He stood there shaking his head slowly and staring at the ground.

"She wouldn't stop. The bells rang and she wouldn't stop." He said quietly, his eyes meeting hers at last. Brienne reached out and squeezed Tyrion's hand.

"It's not your fault," she said. "You can't blame yourself for this."

Tyrion merely nodded. Brienne stood up again and looked towards what was left of the Red Keep. When she saw the damage her heart sank to the pit of her stomach like a rock.

_Jaime…_

Tyrion followed her gaze.

"Will you walk with me?" he asked her. She looked down at him and smiled sadly.

"Of course."

The four of them continued on. Brienne snuck a glance at Jon Snow. The look on his face registered somewhere between sad, horrified, and like he was going to be physically ill. He was certainly going to have a difficult time facing his love after this, Brienne mused.

As they walked on, Brienne's blood turned to ice in her veins. It was exactly the same as in her dream. The dream that had shaken her to her core and plunged her from her bed in Winterfell and eventually southward to this very point and place in time.

The finally reached the Keep. Tyrion once again stood frozen, staring at the tower stairwell leading down into the tunnels. He turned back to Jon and Davos.

"I think it would be better if Ser Brienne and I went in alone."

Jon simply nodded and Davos set his mouth in a sympathetic line.

Brienne had also been staring at the stairwell, too afraid to take a step forward. She was suddenly very aware and afraid of what they might find down there. She silently followed Tyrion down the winding staircase, or what was left of it, until they arrived at the bottom.

There were mountains of stone and debris everywhere. Brienne felt as if a hole had been punched through her chest, armor and all. Again, it was exactly like her dream, and she was now terrified. Tyrion walked ahead of her, paying close attention to the ground. He nudged various stones aside with his feet. Once he noticed that the exit was fully blocked off, he circled back with a somber expression. He looked up at Brienne and then down again at the ground. He suddenly ran forward and started to move stones at a furious pace, throwing them every which way.

Brienne watched him, not understanding at first, then her eyes flew open wide and she gasped loudly as her hands flew to cover her mouth.

Tyrion had uncovered a hand and an arm clad in burgundy velvet. He began to tremble as he slowly removed more stones, eventually revealing Cersei Lannister's broken body. She was bloodied but still recognizable and surprisingly her face had remained mostly intact. Her crown had been impaled into her skull however.

Brienne leaned over and began to help him move more stones. Where her heart had been in her stomach earlier, it was now rising in her throat, her breathing coming quickly as she began to have a panic attack.

"Jaime. Where is Jaime?" she shouted more loudly than she had intended.

Tyrion began to help her. In moving more stones away from around Cersei, he suddenly froze. He closed his eyes as if to make the image go away, but when he opened them again, it was still there. He reached down and when he stood again, he was holding Jaime's golden hand.

He met Brienne's eyes as he turned towards her, Jaime's hand resting in both of his. She began to breathe erratically, her eyes filling with tears. Then she let loose an anguished wail that echoed around the cavern and made Tyrion's blood still in his veins.

Jaime swam up out of unconsciousness, the scream still fresh in his ears. He wasn't even sure if what he had heard had been real. He forced himself to lay still and listen. The throbbing in his leg was awful and when he moved in the slightest, it sent pain shooting all throughout his body. He again screamed himself, and try as he may, he couldn't stop the tears from coming. It was then that he heard the voices.

Tyrion and Brienne both froze and looked at each other. Without speaking they looked towards the source of what they thought was a muffled scream.

"Did you…?" Brienne started.

"Yes, yes I did."

Tyrion handed her Jaime's hand, which she tucked into her sword belt, and the two of them began frantically pulling stones away from the dragon skull. They were careful not to throw them in the direction of Cersei's body. Brienne actually found she was thankful that there was no roof above them at the moment, as it provided much needed light so they could see what they were doing.

It was getting lighter. He wasn't sure how, but it was. He also thought he heard the sounds of the rocks falling away and at least two people talking back and forth to each other. After what seemed like an agonizingly long time, the stones had been put aside enough to make an opening into Balerion's skull.

"By the gods, he's here!"

It sounded like Tyrion. What was he doing down here?

"Tyrion," he said weakly. He looked up and saw his brother's face peering in at him, his expression one of pure joy and relief. Tyrion pushed more stones aside to make more room. Once he did, he scrambled into the skull and sat next to his brother.

Tyrion noticed Jaime's leg as he sat. He grimaced and looked to his brother.

"We need to get you out of here and get you to a maester." He suddenly looked up and spoke to someone that Jaime couldn't see.

"Be careful when you come in, he's badly hurt."

"Who's with y—". Jaime had gone speechless with awe and emotion when he saw her. He let out a cry and burst into tears immediately and reached for her as she carefully made her way towards him. He tried to sit up and grab her, but he couldn't, so it resulted in him grasping at her until she was close enough that he could grab her arm and pull her to him.

Brienne smiled at him through her own tears. Jaime was literally trying to climb her to get into her arms. She reached under him and gently cradled him to her chest, tenderly brushing his hair back from his forehead and kissing him there.

"Shhhh, shhhh," she attempted to soothe him as he sobbed against her. "I'm here, it's alright. I'm here."

She continued running her fingers through his hair and making soft sounds at him, her tears falling onto his face, mixing with his. He clung to her so tightly, his body wracking with sobs. Years of pent up abuse, anger, hatred, and suppressed emotion poured out of him, leaving him at last.

Brienne looked up at Tyrion and smiled at him, reaching over to pull him into their embrace. The three of them sat there, tangled together, all of them crying.

Jaime looked up at Brienne and cupped her face with his hand. He then looked at Tyrion and brought his forehead against his brother's. His two favorite people in the entire world had come for him. They had saved him, in more ways than one.

"Cersei is dead," Tyrion finally said.

Jaime nodded. "I know."

"I'm going to go and get Davos and Jon and get you out of here and to a maester before you bleed out." He pointed at the belt around Jaime's leg.

"Smart thinking. Maybe you're not the stupidest Lannister after all."

Jaime chuckled through his tears. Tyrion looked to Brienne.

"I'll be back as quickly as I can. Stay with him."

Brienne looked down into Jaime's eyes.

"As if I'd go anywhere."

Tyrion scrambled up and out of Balerion and disappeared back up the staircase.

Jaime reached up again and pulled Brienne down so he could kiss her. He winced when he moved his leg.

"Easy, easy," she cooed softly at him. He couldn't stop staring at her. She looked like an angel to him. "I'm sorry about Cersei." She kept rhythmically brushing her fingers through his hair. Jaime was in awe of how strong and fierce a warrior she was, yet how gentle and vulnerable she could be with him.

"It's alright, love." He replied. "She was already gone when I got to her."

Brienne wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she wasn't going to press him right now.

"I don't want to talk about Cersei right now." Jaime looked deeply into her eyes. "Why did you come? I didn't want you to see this, I didn't want you to be hurt." He said, rubbing her cheek. He then broke into a smile.

"Although I must say I'm glad you didn't listen to me." They both laughed together. "How did you find me?"

A fresh set of tears came to Brienne's eyes. She leaned down and touched her forehead to his.

"I dreamed of you."

Sunlight streamed in the windows of Jaime's room where he had been recuperating. The maesters had been able to save his leg but he would have trouble with it the rest of his life. The extent of that wasn't known yet, as it all depended on how well it mended itself. He reached for the plate of food at the side of his bed and eyed it hungrily. He went for the cheese first, taking small bites at first and closing his eyes in happiness. It felt like he hadn't really eaten in days. Next he attacked the thick brown bread with butter and a slice of cured ham. This time he actually moaned out loud in pleasure.

The door opened and his wife walked in, fresh from her council at the dragon pit. She beamed her brightest smile at him and after removing _Oathkeeper _from around her waist and setting it gently against the fireplace, she removed her armor and her leathers. She walked to him and sat next to him on the bed. He leaned his head back against the headboard and stared lovingly at her. She took note of the tray on his lap.

"Oh good, you're eating. You must be feeling more yourself today."

"I am now." He said and smiled at her. "Oh! Here, try some of this" He fed her a piece of the cured ham. She took it from him and kissed his fingertips.

"Oh you're right that's lovely." She said, chewing thoughtfully.

"So, what happened? Tell me everything."

Brienne reached out to stroke his bare chest. Jaime closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.

"You are never in a million years going to guess who the new King is." Brienne said, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Please tell me it's not my brother."

Brienne let out one of her loud laughs. "No, although I'm afraid he is Hand again."

Jaime fixed her with a look of unenthusiastic sarcasm. "You're kidding me."

"Unfortunately no." she laughed again.

"And whose Hand is he?" Jaime asked, his voice rising at the end.

Brienne fixed him with a look. "Bran Stark's."

Jaime's eyes went wide as saucers and his jaw fell open. He looked like he was fighting for what to say and eventually came up with nothing.

"Sansa is Queen in the North, and also secured the North's independence. We are now the Six Kingdoms."

Jaime started again. "Wow, although I suppose that makes sense. As if her own brother would refuse her."

"There's something else." Brienne said seriously. "Something that could affect our future."

Jaime's face fell into a mask of concern. "Are you alright?" He reached for her hand and stroked it with his thumb.

"Oh yes, I'm fine. I've…they've offered me a position on the small council, one that entails quite a lot actually." She took a deep breath. "His Grace has asked that I be Lord Commander of his Kingsguard."

Jaime's face lit up and he pulled her into his arms.

"Oh, love, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you." He kissed her face all over until she wiggled as if a dog were licking her.

"Do realize what an honor that is? Especially for the first female knight in history?" He beamed with pride.

"But Jaime, Kingsguard can't be married and can't have families." She said sadly.

He waved his hand.

"Accept the offer."

"But, Jaime—"

"Take it. I have an idea of how to deal with the technicalities. This is way too big an honor to pass up. Besides, we're already married. If what I have in mind doesn't work out, we can just keep it a secret, which could be quite fun actually." He started kissing her neck.

"Imagine me sneaking into your chambers every night to ravish you senseless and then sneaking out in the morning. Giving each other knowing glances across crowded rooms and courtyards, knowing that when night falls we're going to tear each other apart." His hand went to the laces of her tunic.

"That sounds perfect of course, but I'd rather be married to you where we don't have to hide it." Brienne said, her skin breaking out in prickles as he snuck his hand into her shirt.

His hand roamed all over her as he went back to kissing her.

"Don't worry, love," he mumbled into her hair. "I'll take care of everything."

Jaime pushed the food tray aside and pulled Brienne on top of him.

Tyrion had just finished arranging the chairs at the small council table when they began to file in; Ser Davos, Ser Bronn, Grand Maester Samwell, and finally Lord Commander Ser Brienne, accompanying the King. Once she had positioned Bran at the end of the table, she took her seat.

"We appear to be missing a Master of Whisperers, and a Master of Law," Bran said in his usual passive tone.

Tyrion sat up a little straighter in his chair. "Yes, your Grace. Suitable prospects will be brought to you for an audience in the coming weeks."

Bran's face remained unreadable, yet Tyrion thought he detected the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of Bran's mouth.

"Perhaps I can help with that," Bran said. "I believe I have found you a Master of Law. Just like you, Tyrion, this person needs to fix their past mistakes and will also spend their lifetime doing so…alongside you."

Tyrion's eyebrows shot up and he gave Bran a quizzical look. Bran simply called over his shoulder. "You can come in now."

Jaime Lannister, his head held high for the first time for as long as he could remember, walked into the room. His leg was healing, but he still needed a cane to aid him. He would have full use of it again at some point, but he would carry a slight limp and stiffness for the rest of his days. Jaime figured it was a small price to pay in the end. His beard had been trimmed as well as his hair, which was now swept back from his face. He looked like the proud lion he had once been. He smiled at Tyrion, whose mouth had fallen open while Bronn merely laughed.

"You golden Lannister cunts can't get out of serving no matter how hard you try," he said.

Said Lannister brothers both scowled at him in unison before Jaime turned to wink at Brienne. She blushed and smiled and looked down at her entwined hands. Jaime took his seat next to her. He smelled wonderful, like honeyed soap and new leathers. Brienne found her thoughts suddenly wandering to what she would do to him later that night. She snuck a look at him from under her lashes and when he noticed, he raised his eyebrows and smirked at her. She blushed further and looked down again.

"And Drogon. Any word?" Bran spoke again. Sam and Bronn spoke over each other before Bran simply said "maybe I can find him." He returned to Tyrion. "Do carry on with the rest."

"As you wish, your Grace," Tyrion replied. Brienne looked up.

"Ser Podrick," she called out. Newly knighted Ser Podrick Payne entered the room and stood behind Bran's chair. Jaime broke out in a wide grin and looked at Brienne and then back to Podrick. For the first time in a long while, he felt the pangs of fatherly pride. The grin on Pod's face could not be mistaken either. He was quite proud himself.

They all stood as Tyrion spoke. "We serve at your pleasure, Bran the Broken, ruler of the six kingdoms and protector of the realm. Long may he reign."

The rest of them tried to repeat the words in unison but failed miserably. Tyrion closed his eyes and shook his head. "That will improve."

Bran smiled once his back was to all of them. "I'm sure it will". Once Bran and Podrick were out of the room, they all reclaimed their seats around the table.

Davos looked to Jaime. "So, Master of Law, is it?"

Jaime took a deep breath and nodded. "So it would seem, yes." He raised the index finger on his left hand. "And I must say, the first law I plan on revisiting is the one where members of the Kingsguard are not allowed to marry or have families. That must be done away with," he said with a devilish gleam in his eye as he reached for Brienne's hand and brought it up to his lips where he placed a hungry kiss against her knuckles.

Brienne's mouth fell open and she became flustered. What they did behind closed doors was one thing, but for him to make such a demonstration in public had thrown her. Although they had married in Winterfell, Brienne's new position brought the validity of their marriage into question. Jaime wanted to make sure it stayed intact. He also wanted a more formal wedding in the tradition of the Faith of the Seven, where he could cloak Brienne in Lannister colors, and where what was left of their families could attend.

Tyrion rolled his eyes. "Good lord, it's not going to be like this at every council meeting with you two, is it?"

Jaime looked at his little brother. "Maybe?"

Tyrion once again closed his eyes and sighed. He turned to Bronn.

"Ser Bronn of the Blackwater, Lord of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach and Master of Coin. Would you say the Crown's debt to you had been paid?"

"In full, my Lord Hand."

"Good, time to start incurring a new one. We have hungry people to feed. Can we expect some assistance in this regard?"…...

Lord Commander Brienne of Tarth sat at the table in her office, the White Book splayed open before her. She thumbed through the pages, glancing over the deeds of the esteemed members of the brotherhood that came before her. She found herself becoming somewhat sad, wishing she could have seen all of these honorable gentlemen in their prime, at the pinnacles of their careers. She had looked up to them all of her life, and now she was one of them. Sometimes she still couldn't wrap her head around it; that she was on equal footing as all of her heroes of the past. She continued turning the pages.

_Ser Arthur Dayne…Ser Barristan Selmy…ah, there he is._

_Ser Jaime Lannister._

Brienne smiled at his name and his coat of arms. Bright Lannister red with the golden lion…her golden lion. He may be slightly older and worse for wear, but he was still hers. She gently ran her fingertips over his page, stopping to rest where he had written her name as best he could in his non-dominant hand. Stopping to think for a few moments, she eventually reached for the quill and ink to her right.

She began to write his history following their time together in the Riverlands. She had written a few lines when the door to her office suddenly flew open, causing her to flinch and leave a smudge of ink in the margin of Jaime's page. She swore under her breath and quickly returned the quill to the inkwell. Looking up, she saw that her intruder was none other than the man she had been writing about. The newly appointed Master of Law.

"You know, you can't just barge into the Lord Commander's office unannounced," Brienne scowled at him with a hint of playfulness in her voice.

Jaime did his best to feign a pout and walked over to her. Propping his cane against the table, he came up behind her, slid one arm over her right shoulder and the other under her left arm, his hands meeting in the middle of her chest. When he had her in his embrace, he started nibbling on her earlobe, making her squirm.

"Oooh, am I in trouble?" he said mischievously. "Whatever are you going to do with me?" he growled softly in her ear. "Something involving shackles I hope. Yes, shackles and you wrapping those gloriously long legs around m-"

"Jaime Lannister!" Brienne turned to give him a shocked look, and he took the opportunity to kiss her deeply, pulling her even more tightly against him.

"Have I told you how absolutely ravishing you look in Kingsguard gold?" He hungrily looked her over and lightly tapped on her breastplate with his newly repaired and polished golden hand.

"What in the Seven Hells has gotten into you?" Brienne said to him, the corner of her mouth raising in a smirk.

Jaime groaned softly against the soft skin behind her ear.

"Later tonight I'm going to get into _you."_

If he kept this up, she was going to throw him onto his back and have him right here on the table, in her armor and all.

She tried to affect a mask of professionalism. "I'm working. I don't have time for this. You're going to have to leave. Don't you have laws to restructure or something of that ilk?" Her inability to stifle her giggling gave her away completely.

Jaime brought his good hand up and gently lifted her hair at the back of her neck, which had grown almost to her shoulders now. He began placing languid kisses along her hairline, making her skin break out in gooseflesh. He smiled against her neck, gently rubbing his now-trimmed beard against it, making her breath hitch and her eyes close.

"Well I see someone is feeling better," she quipped.

"When are you coming home?" he purred softly. "I need my punishment, my lady." He turned his face upwards and shoved his nose into her hair, marveling at how silky it was now that she had begun to let it grow long. He loved the way it softly curled, making her look both regal and wildly unkempt at the same time. He especially loved the way it looked when it was splayed out on her pillow when he brought her to the brink of ecstasy.

"The sooner you stop pawing at me, _Ser_, the sooner I can finish this and come home." She teased him, again trying to play serious. Jaime brought his head around and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"What are you doing, anyway?" His eyes lit up when he saw she was writing on his page. "Oh, how exciting!" he said. "Go on, write nice things about me." He waited expectantly like a child.

Brienne looked up at him to find him in a full grin. She narrowed her eyes at him and pointed towards the door.

"Out."

"Please," he whined and pouted again.

"The sooner you let me finish this, the sooner I can come home." She repeated and leaned her head back to bring her nose against his. "And punish you all night long if that's what you want," she whispered. Jaime's green eyes sparked and his face lit up in childish delight before he lowered his eyelids seductively gnawed at his bottom lip.

"Promise?" he grinned again.

Brienne shook her head and chuckled. She had never seen him this effervescent and playful before. She was enjoying it. "Yes, love, I promise." She laughed louder. Jaime loved it when she laughed.

"Alright, I'll have supper brought to our rooms."

She moaned and tilted her head back further. "Oh that would be lovely, Jaime. I'm absolutely starving. With everything going on, I actually forgot to eat something this afternoon." Another thought sprang into her mind and she returned his sly look and lowered her voice again. "I think the first part of your punishment will be to bathe me. I'm in desperate need of a hot soak in the tub."

Jaime raised one of his eyebrows in delight and smiled again. "One of my favorite activities."

"Oh, and put furs down by the hearth please if you wouldn't mind," her blue eyes bored into his soul. "You know how I like to lie in front of the fire and dry off after a bath." She brazenly leaned forward and took his bottom lip in her mouth, making him groan softly.

"Are you trying to drive me mad?" he said quite well despite having his bottom lip caught between her teeth.

"Yes, is it working?" she released him and laughed again. He laughed along with her.

"Quite well, actually," he rubbed her nose with his. "I love you. I'll see you soon."

She nodded and kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you, too."

Jaime stood up and headed for the door. Stopping right before he reached it, he turned around again, his black cloak swirling around him. Dressed in a burgundy leather coat, black leather pants, and the Lannister red cravat around his throat, accentuating his god-like jawline, Brienne found him irresistibly handsome. His hair had also been cut short again, the way she loved it. When he caught her eyes lingering on him, he turned around and teasingly lifted the long tails of his coat so she could see his backside.

"Is that better?"

"Will you get out of here, you loon," Brienne said, laughing again.

"Just one more thing," he said. "Once I _do_ manage to abolish the law that decrees members of the Kingsguard are not allowed to marry or have a family…you _are_ going to marry me _again_ and have a family, yes?"

"Is that what you call a proposal, Jaime?" she snorted and shook her head at him again. He narrowed his eyes in thought and pursed his lips.

"Yes, I suppose it is." He winked at her and slid out the door. "Don't be too long!" he shouted right before he closed it behind him.

"Well I suppose it's better than 'hurry up, get dressed, and meet me outside'," she muttered to herself once he was out of earshot.

Brienne flushed deep red and smiled wide. Could this really be her life? Not only was she the first female knight in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, but she held the highest office bestowed upon them. She was also in love, deeply, for the first time in her life, with the former Lord Commander and Kingslayer of all people. The wonderful, lovable, adorably annoying Kingslayer. The man who had saved her in more ways than one. The man who had given her his heart in the form of _Oathkeeper_, which never left her side. The man who had abandoned all he had known and had ridden North to fight at her side against the dead. A tear of joy escaped her eye and ran down her cheek, landing on Jaime's page in the White Book. She blotted it as best she could, but it left a slightly darkened stain on the page. She figured it would be something to bind them together even in the Book.

Smiling again and thinking about the joys and pleasures awaiting her at their rooms, she once again reached for the quill and continued inking her husband's honorable deeds. Upon finishing, she once again stroked his page lovingly with her fingers.

"There, Jaime my love," she said, smiling. "Rest easy now. Your deeds have finally been written, and you can take your proper place in history…as the good man I saw all along."


End file.
